Automatic switch for controlling the operation of pumps.



K. SORGE. AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF PUMPS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I8, I9I4.

Patented Feb. 8,1916.

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' K. SORGE. AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF PUMPS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I8, 1914.

PatentdFeb.8,l9l6.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR Ila; J 6

ATTORNEYS 222E L ii I 7 jg ssss I THE COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH C0, WASHINGTON, D.

Ul llTED STATES PATENT @FFECE.

KURT SORGE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF PUMPS.

Application filed September 18, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KURT some, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Switch for Controlling the Operation of Pumps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has special reference to an improved pumping apparatus and more particularly to an improved means for automatically controlling the operation of electrically operated pumps, such as beer pumps, used for storing a tank with air under pressure or otherwise.

More specifically, the invention comprehends an improved automatic switch included in a circuit with a motor for the operation of the pump or other suitable mechanism, and especially in connection with an automatic air pump for storing a tank under pressure with air, the switch having connection with a diaphragm operated lever whereby when the pressure in the tank has reached a predetermined high point, the switch constituting the circuit make and break device will be opened, such switch being designed to be automatically closed on a reduction of the air pressure in the tank to a predetermined point.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic switch which includes a movable contact arm designed to cooperate with a cup containing mercury, constituting a mercury break which in conjunction with a metallic contact produces a perfect electrical connection while the pump is in operation, thus preventing the arcing and sparking which would otherwise occur, the arm being operable by gravity and designed to be raised by means of a crank pin carried by an unbalanced friction wheel, which latter is in turn raised by a diaphragm operated lever so as to open the circuit by withdrawing the contact pin from the mercury cup, while means are also provided to regulate the pressure at which the circuit will be opened and the pumps stopped, it being understood that the unbalanced wheel will, upon the reduction of the pressure, be automatically released to partially rotate and permit the arm to lower, whereby the circuit will be closed and the pumps again thrown into operation.

With the above and other objects in View,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

Serial No. 862,317.

the invention resides more particularly in the peculiar combination and arrangement of parts which will be illustrated as a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawings and described in the specification. Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure l is an edge elevation of the device as applied to a pumping apparatus to be used in connection with beer pumps, as illus trative of the application of the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the improved automatic switch with certain parts in section, the switch being shown in full lines in an open position and in broken lines in a closed position; and Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 83 of Fig. 2.

1n the illustrated embodiment of the invention there is shown a motor 10 of any approved alternating or direct type, which is mounted upon a suitable base 11 insulated as shown at 12 from a support 13. The motor 10 is geared to a shaft 14 as by means of spur gears 15 and 16, said shaft being suitably mounted and journaled in vertical standards or bearing supports 17 arranged near the ends of the support 13 and secured to said support. Each end of the shaft 14 is provided with a crank arm 18, each of which is connected to the piston rod 19 of an air pump 20, shown in the present instance as a reciprocating pump.

The pumps 20 by means of connections 21, and if desired by a common connection 22, lead to a suitable storage tank, not

shown, whereby the tank is supplied with air under pressure to any predetermined degree or point, it being understood that any suitable means may be provided, as for instance a check valve, for obviating back pressure against the pump pistons. Also communicating with the storage tank is a stand pipe 23 having a diaphragm 24 mounted on its upper end to be affected according to the pressure of the air within the tank, while pivoted to a vertical standard 25 carried by the diaphragm casing at one side of the latter is a lever 26, which is in turn connected by a plunger 27 to the flexible disk or other interior mechanism of the diaphragm. It will be observed that the point of pivotal connection of the lever 26 with the plunger or stem 27 is relatively near the end of the lever which is pivoted to the standard 25, thus providing a short arm at this end which has a comparatively small throw in relation to the throw of the long arm of the lever at the opposite side of the point of pivotal connection of the lever with the plunger or stem.

Suitably attached to one of the bearing supports 17, as by means of a switchboard 28 which is of insulating material, is the improved automatic switch and devices for connecting the circuit wires forming the leads and supply wires for operating the motor, the switchboard having suitable openings :29 through which suitable attaching means may be passed for securing the switchboard to the bearing support. The switch embodies an arm 30 pivoted as shown at 31, through the instrumentality of a sleeve formed at this end of the arm, to the switchboard, while a coiled spring 32 serves to hold the arm in spaced relation to the switchboard, the said spring being engaged around the pivot 31 between the sleeve of the arm and the attaching means of the pivot which is connected by a conducting strip 33 to an attaching terminal 34 also secured to the switchboard. The arm 30, as illustrated, is provided near its pivot with an upwardly curved portion outwardly of which the arm is provided with a rectilinear portion with a similar bottom en aging edge for a purpose to be hereinafter made apparent. The free end of the arm is increased in thickness to provide additional weight to assist in its downward movement for the purpose of closing the circuit, as will be hereinafter specified, and this end carries a depending contact pin 36 which is designed to coiperate with a body of mercury or other desirable current conducting fluid metallic bony 37 contained, within a cup 38 carried by the free end of a binding post 39 suitably attached to the switchboard, the cup being open at its upper end, as shown, sui'iicient to permit free ingress and egress of the contact pin as it moves in an arc with the point 31 as a pivot. The arm 30 is also recessed, as shown at 40, at its upper edge to permit upward movement of the arm to a limited degree without contacting with the shaft 14. Also pivoted to the switchboard to move in an are opposite to that described by the arm 30 is an arm 41, the same having a sleeve portion 42 pivoted as shown at 43 and having intermediate of its length a boss 44 to which a friction wheel 45 is rotatably attached at a spaced distance from the face of the switchboard. This friction wheel has a weighted portion 46 providing an unbalanced wheel for one-half of its area and preferably having a segmental portion thereof omitted, as shown, so that the wheel will normally take the position indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings when permitted to freely rotate, so that the segmental opening or recess will be disposed upwardly. The friction wheel is also provided with a peripheral covering 47, preferably of leather, whereby when it contacts or engages with the crank shaft 14 in a manner to be hereinafter described, its rotation will be assured. A crank pin 48 is also carried by the friction wheel, being mounted at one edge of the weighted portion 46 so to normally lie above the axis of the friction wheel and adjacent the segmental opening of the wheel, so that when the pressure in the reservoir or tank is raised to a predetermined degree, the lever 26 will be moved upwardly, whereby through the instrumentality of a link 49 connecting the free end of the lever with the free end of the arm 41, said latter arm will also be raised to cause the friction wheel to contact with the rotating crank shaft 14, it being understood that the contact arm is normally in the position shown in broken lines in Fig. for the closing of the circuit and operation of the motor and pumps.

The circuit by which current is supplied to the motor through the improved switch consists of a lead or supply wire 50 which is connected to the binding post 84, the circuit being then traced through the plate or strip 33 and arm 30, through the contact pin 36 to the fluid body contained in the cup 33. The circuit is then traced from the binding post by a wire 51 to the motor, the return being through a wir to a binding post 53, preferably located below the binding post 34 and having a return wire 54 also connected therewith. Thus, when the friction wheel is rotated by contact with the. crank shaft in the manner above mentioned, the crank pin 48 will engage the rectilinear edge of the arm 30 and by elevating the arm move the pin 36 out of the fluid body contained in the cup, or, in effect, separate said contacts to open the circuit, thus cutting off the current to the motor and causing the pumps to stop operating. The break in conjunction with the metallic contact produces a perfect electrical connection while the pump is in opera tion, thus preventing the arcing and sparking usually seen in other structures.

In order to regulate the opening of the circuit at any predetermined degree ofprcssure in the reservoir or tank, a split bracket is fixed to the upper edge of the switchboard. preferably in an inclined position and radially with respect to the friction wheel. as shown, the split portions being held in clamping engagement with a set screw 56 by means of a binding screw 57 connecting the same. By loosening the clamping screw 57 the set screw can be freely rotated so as to adjust its degree of dependency at its engaging portion 58, with a stop pin 59 projecting laterally from the friction wheel in a radial line outwardly of the crank pin 48. As the friction wheel rotates to open the circuit by raising the arm 30, the stop pin 59 will engage the portion 58 of the set screw 56, when the crank pin 48 will be in the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 2, thus holding the circuit open until such time as the pressure within the reservoir or tank has been reduced, and by reaction of the diaphragm, permits the lever 26 to be lowered, thus lowering the arm 41 through the instrumentality of the link 49 and thereby permitting the stop pin to pass the set screw. Since the friction wheel is lowered sufficiently to permit this, its weighted portion will cause its partial rotation so as to disengage the crank pin 48 from the arm 30 and thereby permit the latter to fall by gravity, the same as the friction wheel turns by gravity, so as to close the circuit and renew the operation of the motor and pumps. This operation is wholly automatic and the circuit will be opened at any time that the pressure reaches such degree that the friction wheel will be raised to engage the crank shaft 14, adjustment of the set screw 56 permitting a varia tion in the degree of pressure which will serve to maintain the arm in a raised position and hold the circuit open.

Opposite rotation of the friction wheel is prevented in such a manner as to obviate the sudden arresting of the motion of the pumps at mid-stroke or otherwise, which would cause a back pressure tending to reversely rotate the crank shaft, thereby preventing the motor circuit from being closed when it is not desired that the pumps should operate, and for this purpose the arm 30 which is raised at its under side formed by the curved portion 35, provides a substantially right-angular wall or engaging edge 60 which will, by engagement of the crank pin 48 therewith, should the friction wheel tend to rotate in a clockwise direction, or in an opposite direction to that imparted thereto by engagement with the shaft 14, form a stop to prevent such rotation. Thus the opening of the circuit can only take place upon positive rotation of the friction wheel by engagement with the crank shaft due to raising of the arm 41 by an increase of the air pressure in the reservoir or stor age tank, or similar means.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device for controlling the operation of pumps and the like, a pump, a driving motor therefor, a switch for making and breaking the motor circuit, a wheel for operating said switch, means for driving said Wheel from the motor, a pressure device operated by variations in pressure produced by the pump for connecting said Wheel with its driving means, and means to arrest the motion of said wheel, said wheel being selfoperative upon the reduction of the pressure to disconnect from the driving means.

2. A device for controlling the operation of pumps and the like, a pump, a driving motor therefor, a switch for making and breaking the motor circuit, a wheel for operating said switch, means for driving said wheel from the motor, a pressure device operated by variations in pressure produced by the pump for connecting said wheel with its driving means, and adjustable means for arresting the motion of said wheel when the pressure reaches a predetermined point so as to open the circuit and bring the pump to a state of rest.

8. A device for controlling the operation of pumps and the like, a pump, a driving motor therefor, a switch for making and breaking the motor circuit, a wheel for operating said switch, means for driving said Wheel from the motor, a pressure device operated by variations in pressure produced by the pump for connecting said wheel with its driving means, adjustable means for arresting the motion of said wheel when the pressure reaches a predetermined point so as to open the circuit and bring the pumps to a state of rest, said wheel being operative by gravity to partially rotate and move out of contact with said driving means, whereby the circuit will be closed upon the reduction of the air pressure.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

KURT SORGE.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. BURCH, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Pa--.

Washington, D. C. 

